ADA, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, CDC Honor Fluoridation Efforts of States, Communities

Marking 69 years of community water fluoridation, the American Dental Association (ADA), the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently honored 130 states and communities with 2013 Fluoridation Awards at the National Oral Health Conference at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.

The honorees are:

• California earned the State Fluoridation Initiative Award as the state having the greatest increase in population receiving fluoridated water in 2013.
• Storm Lake, Iowa; Hounsfield Water District No. 5, New York; and Bradford, Vermont, were recognized with Community Fluoridation Initiative Awards for passing water fluoridation initiatives during 2013.
• Another 30 communities in 13 states earned Fluoridation Reaffirmation Awards for defeating initiatives to discontinue fluoridation or approving initiatives to maintain fluoridation.
• Nine states earned State Fluoridation Quality Awards for maintaining the quality of fluoridation and optimal fluoride levels.
• 85 water systems in 29 states earned Fifty Year Awards for achieving 50 years of continuous water fluoridation during the past calendar year.

In addition, the “Tampa Bay Times” and Pinellas County Dental Association, Upper Pinellas County Dental Association and Pinellas County Oral Health Coalition received Fluoridation Merit Awards for their efforts to reinstate fluoridation in Pinellas County, Fla., after county commissioners voted to stop fluoridating in 2011. The “Tampa Bay Times” earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for its pro-fluoridation editorials and the local dental associations and oral health coalition were instrumental in mounting a grassroots effort to bring fluoridated water back to nearly 1 million people in the county.

Visit ADA.org for the complete list of winners.

For more information, visit ADA at: www.ada.org or follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ada.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA’s consumer website MouthHealthy.org.